London Calling: Theophilus London, That Is

What does a hot young songwriting Brooklynite with mad rhymes and a knack for musical fusion have to sing about? Love, actually.

An MC who takes his cues from Morrissey ("He's an amazing lyricist—he could have been the greatest rapper of all time") as much as from Notorious B.I.G., Theophilus London is the kind of rare, genuinely original artist for whom the rules of genre simply don't apply. "It's raw, it's rap, it's energy, it's soul, it's pop," he says, trying to put what he does into words. "I'm not copying anybody." The Trinidad-born, Brooklyn-bred 24-year-old first generated buzz in 2009 with "This Charming Mixtape," a musically omnivorous, DIY compilation on which he rhymed over tracks by the likes of Whitney Houston. With his recent EP, Lovers Holiday, the timeworn hip-hop blueprint has been effectively fed to the shredder.

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"I started out just trying to be a really good rapper, but I realized I was wasting my time," London says. "Hip-hop got redundant, and there was a lot of violence going on. I wanted to present a new message, and when I opened myself up to becoming more of a songwriter, I could express my complexities." From "Flying Overseas," a slice of gossamer synth-pop with Solange Knowles on backing vocals, to "Wine + Chocolate," an electro-disco collaboration with TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek, the songs on Lovers Holiday revolve around romantic give-and-take. Love Is Real, London's highly anticipated major-label debut album, due out next month, will be "built around a reincarnation of lovers," he says. "It'd be totally cool if you played my music to someone and then you started dating. That's the kind of stories I want to come out of it—not, like, some kid got beat up."

Although London's wily creativity is more than enough to propel him into chart-topping territory, his connections certainly won't hurt (he's chummy with Mark Ronson and Damon Albarn; a scantily clad Lindsay Lohan appeared in a video for "Oops," a track from his 2010 mixtape I Want You), and his distinctive sartorial sense (specs, hats, skinny suits) has already merited much fashion-blog analysis. "Maybe when I get to my third record, I'll take my glasses off so people can see my eyes and stuff," he muses. "But right now I'm really liking the mystery."

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